Swimming pool with adjustable pool floor system

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustable swimming pool floor system (40). In addition, the invention relates to a swimming pool (5) comprising such an adjustable pool floor system. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for installing the hydraulic system (1) in a swimming pool. The invention also relates to a hydraulic system for use in an adjustable swimming pool floor system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Adjustable swimming pool floor system, comprising:
 a buoyant pool floor adjustable in a height direction relative to a pool bottom of a swimming pool: 
 a hydraulic system comprising:
 a hydraulic cylinder, comprising a cylinder barrel having a cylinder head and a cylinder cap, a piston slideably arranged within the cylinder barrel and a piston rod carried by the piston, whereby a first part of the piston rod extends at an outside of the cylinder barrel beyond the cylinder head; and 
 a sealing arrangement slideably enclosing the first part of the piston rod remote from the cylinder head, whereby the sealing arrangement is connectable with an opening extending through a peripheral pool wall enclosing the swimming pool, from an exterior side to an interior side of the pool wall for extending the first part of the piston rod into an interior of the swimming pool adjacent the interior side of the pool wall, the sealing arrangement preventing leakage of liquid from the swimming pool to the exterior side of the pool wall and comprising a bush slideably enclosing the first part of the piston rod and extending in an axial direction over a length corresponding to a distance between the exterior side and the interior side of the pool wall, wherein the bush comprises an outer sleeve of polymer material slideably enclosing an inner sleeve of polymer material with the first part of the piston rod slideably enclosed by the inner sleeve, and the polymer material of the outer sleeve being a harder polymer material than the polymer material of the inner sleeve; 
 
 
       the adjustable floor system further comprising:
 a movement transfer arrangement connectable at a first end to the first part of the piston rod extendable into the interior of the swimming pool and at a second end to the buoyant pool floor, such that in use movement of the piston rod is transferred to the pool floor and adjustment of the pool floor in the height direction is achieved. 
 
     
     
       2. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the movement transfer arrangement comprises a pulley system connected between the first end of the piston rod and the pool floor, whereby the pulley system applies tension to the piston rod in a direction aligned with the piston rod movement and converts a horizontal movement of the piston rod into a movement of the pool floor in the height direction. 
     
     
       3. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE), and the outer sleeve comprises polyvinylchloride (PVC). 
     
     
       4. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 1 , wherein a wiping element is provided at an end of the bush adjacent the interior side of the pool wall, the wiping element being arranged for wiping the first part of the piston rod as it enters the swimming pool. 
     
     
       5. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 1 , comprising a detector for detecting a position of the piston rod with respect to the cylinder. 
     
     
       6. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 5 , wherein the detector measures a distance from the detector to the piston and the detector is provided at the cylinder cap. 
     
     
       7. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a processor controlled hydraulic circuit for causing movement of the piston within the cylinder barrel and a user interface for selecting a height of the pool floor relative to the pool bottom. 
     
     
       8. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 7 , wherein the piston divides an interior of the cylinder barrel into a first part between the piston and the cylinder head and a second part between the piston and the cylinder cap and the hydraulic circuit comprises a fluid connection between the first and the second part of the interior of the cylinder barrel, whereby the fluid connection is provided at an exterior of the cylinder barrel. 
     
     
       9. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 8 , wherein the cylinder barrel is provided with a non-return valve arranged to maintain pressure in the interior of the cylinder barrel in the event of failure of the hydraulic circuit. 
     
     
       10. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a radially extending first flange connectable to the exterior side of the pool wall. 
     
     
       11. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 10 , wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a second flange connectable to the interior side of the pool wall, opposite the first flange at the exterior side of the pool wall. 
     
     
       12. Adjustable swimming pool floor system according to  claim 11 , wherein a wiping element is provided at the cylinder head, such that in use, hydraulic fluid is wiped off the piston rod upon exiting the cylinder barrel and prior to entering the sealing element. 
     
     
       13. Swimming pool comprising
 a pool bottom, 
 a peripheral upstanding pool wall having an interior side and an exterior side, the pool wall having at least one opening from the exterior side to the interior side of the pool wall, and 
 an adjustable swimming pool floor system, comprising 
 a buoyant pool floor adjustable in a height direction relative to the pool bottom of the swimming pool, 
 at least one hydraulic system, comprising
 a hydraulic cylinder, comprising a cylinder barrel located at the exterior side of the pool wall and a piston rod, extending from the cylinder barrel, through the opening and into an interior of the swimming pool, and 
 a sealing arrangement, connected to the pool wall, comprising a bush structurally engaged within the opening and extending through the pool wall, wherein the bush comprises an inner sleeve of a polymer material and an outer sleeve of a polymer material which is a harder polymer material than the polymer material of the inner sleeve, wherein the sealing arrangement slideably encloses a first part of the piston rod, to prevent leakage of liquid from the swimming pool to the exterior side of the pool wall, wherein the cylinder barrel is connected to the sealing arrangement, thereby mounting the cylinder barrel to the pool wall; 
 
 
       the adjustable swimming pool floor system further comprising
 a movement transfer arrangement provided at the interior of the swimming pool and connected at a first end to the first part of the piston rod extending into the interior of the swimming pool and at a second end to the buoyant pool floor, such that movement of the piston rod is transferred to the pool floor and adjustment of the pool floor in the height direction is achieved. 
 
     
     
       14. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein the adjustable swimming pool floor system comprises a system according to  claim 7 . 
     
     
       15. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one opening through the pool wall is provided near the pool bottom. 
     
     
       16. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein the movement transfer arrangement converts a small movement of the piston rod into a large movement of the pool floor. 
     
     
       17. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein the bush comprises an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve sealingly engaged with each other and the outer sleeve is structurally engaged within the opening, such the hydraulic system can be dismounted by withdrawing the inner sleeve from the outer sleeve, whereby the outer sleeve remains in the opening. 
     
     
       18. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein the pool wall comprises a concrete wall. 
     
     
       19. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein the sealing arrangement comprise a first flange at the exterior side of the pool wall and a second flange at the interior side of the pool wall. 
     
     
       20. Swimming pool according to  claim 13 , wherein the bush comprises a profiled outer surface and a volume of casting compound is provided between the bush and the pool wall to structurally engage the bush within the opening. 
     
     
       21. Swimming pool according to  claim 20 , wherein the bush comprises a first radially extending flange at the exterior side of the pool wall and wherein the layer of casting compound extends from the interior side of the pool wall to the exterior side of the pool wall and further extends over at least the part of the exterior side of the pool wall covered by the first flange. 
     
     
       22. Method for installing a hydraulic system for an adjustable pool floor in a swimming pool comprising a pool bottom and a circumferential upstanding pool wall, the method comprising:
 providing a buoyant pool floor and a hydraulic system for adjusting the buoyant pool floor in a height direction relative to the pool bottom, the hydraulic system comprising 
 a hydraulic cylinder, comprising a cylinder barrel and a piston rod, whereby a first part of the piston rod extends out of the cylinder barrel, and 
 a sealing arrangement slideably enclosing the first part of the piston rod, the method further comprising 
 providing an opening from an exterior side to an interior side of the pool wall, 
 sealingly connecting the sealing arrangement to the pool wall, whereby the sealing arrangement prevents liquid from leaking from the swimming pool, wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a first radially extending flange and the method comprises connecting the first flange to the exterior side of the pool wall at the location of the opening, thereby covering part of the exterior side of the pool wall and mounting the cylinder barrel to the pool wall across the first flange; and 
 connecting the first part of the piston rod to the adjustable pool floor such that movement of the piston rod causes the pool floor to be adjusted in height, 
 wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a bush, slideably enclosing the first part of the piston rod and extending through the opening in the pool wall, 
 wherein the bush comprises an inner sleeve of polymer material and an outer sleeve of polymer material with the polymer material of the outer sleeve being harder than the polymer material of the inner sleeve. 
 
     
     
       23. Method according to  claim 22 , comprising providing a layer of casting compound from the interior side of the pool wall to the exterior side of the pool wall and over at least a part of the exterior side of the pool wall covered by the first flange. 
     
     
       24. Method according to  claim 22 , wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a second flange, the method comprising connecting the second flange to the interior side of the pool wall opposite the first flange at the exterior side of the pool wall. 
     
     
       25. Method according to  claim 22 , comprising providing a layer of casting compound between the bush and a circumferential inner surface of the opening to structurally engage the bush within the opening. 
     
     
       26. Method according to  claim 25 , comprising connecting the outer sleeve and the circumferential inner surface of the opening with the layer of casting compound, whereby the hydraulic system can be removed by withdrawing the inner sleeve from the outer sleeve which remains within the opening.